Casting machine



March 17, 1925.

S. HINCHLIFFE ET AL CASTING momma Ffiled J ly so, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 17, 1925. 1,529,950

5. HINCHLIFFE ET AL CASTING MACHINE Filed July 30, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 314 024 oz gi J flmm M March 17, 1925 1,529,950

- S. HINCHLIFFE ET AL CASTING MACHINE Filed J i b, 4 sheets-sheet 5 March 17,1925. 1,529,950

s. HINCHLIFFE ET AL CASTING MACHINE Filed July so, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I liui nlnnlmm Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,529,950 PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL HINCHLIFFE, OF CLEVELAND, LEWIS W. LAFERTY, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, AND JOHN S. ROBINSON, OF EUCLID VILLAGE, OHIO.

CASTlNG HACHIN E.

Application filed July 30, 1923. Serial No. 654,553.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL HINCHLIFFE, LEWIS W. LAFERTY, and J ()HN S. ROBINSON, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively. of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, Cleveland Heights, in the county of Cu ahoga and State of Ohio, and Euclid Vil'a 'e, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Chio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Casting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to casting machines with travelin molds for continuously casting articles 01 the desired pattern.

An object of the present invention is to provide a continuous casting machine with traveling flasks in which sand molds are formed, the castings being formed in the molds and the sand and castings being discharged from the molds during the'travel of the flask.

A further object is to provide a continuous casting machine which is-simple in construction, economical to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

-1 further object is to provide a simple and effective mechanism for forming the sand molds in the flasks.

A further object is to provide a casting machine having flasks connected in a single endless chain and means along the path of travel of the flasks for supplying sand to the flasks forming sand molds in the flasks, sup plying molten metal to the molds and finally discharging the sand and castings'from the flasks.

The above and other objects are obtained by the present invention which may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and accompanying arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the machine with the sand and molten metal feeding devices and most of the flasks of the endless chain omitted to more clearly show the supporting structure; big. 2 is a side elevation of the machine; F 3 is a section on line. 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the forward end of the machine; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the forward end of the machine; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of sand compressing and mold forming device; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the pattern.- plate employed in the mechanism shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the press actuating toggle in side elevation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the machine is mounted upon an elongated supporting frame 1 in which are mounted sprockets 2 adjacent the ends which are carried by horizontal shafts 3 journaled in the frame work. The sprocket wheels 2 are located centrally of the frame work and an endless sprocket chain 4: passes over the sprockets 2. A pair of inner track rails 5 extend from adjacent one sprocket Wheel 2 to the other below the upperrun of the endless chain 4 and upon opposite sides thereof, the rail 5 being disposed horizontally and parallel from end to end. Outer rails 6 are co-extensive in length with the inner rails 5 and have their end portions lying in the same plane as the inner rails 5. Intermediate their ends the rails 6 are bent upwardly and inwardly at 7 and have parallel elevated portions 8 which are considerably above the endless chain 4 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. Mounted upon the inner track rails 5 are a series of inverted V- shaped brackets 9 which have grooved rollers 10 at their lower ends engaging the tracks 5 and which straddle the. endless chain 4. Connected to the apices of successive pairs of brackets 9 are hinged pins 11 which form pivotal supports for the flasks 12 which are arranged in pairs, the

.fiasks of each pair traveling upon opposite sides of the endless chain 4:. The flasks 12 are provided with closed bottoms and are adapted to receive the sand which is formed therein into complemental mold sections, the bottoms of the flasks being provided with perforations 12 to permit escape of gases during the pouring operation. Each hinged pin 1.1 has a V-shaped attachment bracket attached centrally thereto, straddling the chain 4 and suitably attached to a link thereof. The flasks 12 have hinged knuckles 14 attached to their inner edges which fit over. the hinged pin 11 adjacent each end thereof.

To the outer edges of the flasks 12 are attached supporting brackets 15 which extend around the sprocket wheels, each of the. shafts 3 is provided with rollers 17 on opposite sides of the sprockets 2 which are of slightly greater diameter than the sprockets and engage with the bottoms of the flasks 12 in their passage over thessprocketsp The rollers 17 prevent inwara. ov'ement of the flasks during their ssage 7 ets and, in order to preventv ward. move ment of the flasks about theirpivots 11, a'r-' cuate guards 18 are rovided to engage the outer edges of the sage around the. sprockets 2 so that the flasks are held a ainst any substantial pivotal movement urin'gtheir passage about the sprockets. Su porting ralls 19 are rovided below the ower run of the en less chain 4 upon which the edges of the flasks rest during their travel along the lower run, the rails 19 serving to hold the flasks in hori zontal position while they pass along the under run of the conveyor. It will be readily seen that as the flasks travel in the direction indicated by'the' arrows in Fig. 2, they will be supported in horizontal position at the forward end of the machine, and as the rollers 16 come to the inwardly and upwardly curved portion 7 of the outer rails the flasks of each pair will be gradually swung upwardly toward vertical position, the two flasks of each pair being closed one upon the other and in vertical position while the flasks are traveling along the elevated portion 8 of the outer rails. Asthe flasks approach the rear end of the machine, they outer supporting roller 16 will travel down the rear curved portion 7 of the outer rails so that the flasks are restored to their open horizontal position prior to their passage over the rear sprocket wheel.

The flasks 12 are-connected at suitable intervals along the endless chain 4, the flasks being. preferably regularly spaced and quite close together. Immediately above the flasks at the forward end of. the machine is a sand hopper 20 from which sand is discharged into the flasks to fill the same as they pass underneath the hopper, side boards 2O being provided alongside the flasks to prevent overflow of sand and a scraper 20 being pro vided to level the sand in the flasks. A short distance to the rear of the sand hopper 20 and abovethe horizontal portion of the flask supporting trackway is mounted a pressureroller 21, the periphery of which just clears the upper edges of the flasks 12, the roller 21 extending the full width of the two flasks and the central portion of the roller being provided with a groove 22 at the center tithe 'sproc z.

asks during their pas-.

thereof to permit passage of the hinged pin 11. The pressure roller 21 .has suitable pattern plates 23 detachably secured upon its periphery, the pattern plates 23 having raisedportions 23 which form in the sand cavities corresponding to one-half of the article to be cast. Alon the ends of the raised portions 23 the r0 ler 21 is provided with a raised longitudinally extendin rib 23 which forms the gate of the mo] the rib 23 being connected to the raised portions 23 by narrow ribs 23 which form the passagesQfrQmg-the gate ,to the mold cavities.

Thach r .21 is provided with a gear 24 at am end thereof which is driven from a drive shaft '25 through a suitable speed reduction gear 25. Driven from the ear 24 is a countershaft 26 having a bevele gear 26 thereon which mesheswith a beveled gear 26 on a countershaft 27 which carries a sl'nall gear 28 meshing with a lar e gear 29 on a longitudinally extending s aft 30, which at its rear enddrives the rear shaft 3 through beveled gears 31. By means of the gearing above described, the endless chain of flasks and the pressure roller 21 are simultaneously driven from a common drive shaft, the gears bein so proportioned that the pattern plate 23 o, the roller 21 will engage with and impress its "pattern in the sand of each flask.-

as it passes'beneaththe roller. The elevated portion 8 of the outer track rails is support ed b four vertical posts 32 which have in war ly extending arms 33 to the ends of which the trackrails are attached. The two forward ostson the one side of the machine support t e trackrails slidably in their outer ends to permit outward movement thereof and. are provided with compression springs 34 which normally hold the portion of the trackrail engaged thereby at the inner end of the arm. The trackrails, however, are both rigidly supported upon inner ends of the arms 33 of the two rear supporting posts -32. Adjacent the forward end of the elevated portion 8 of the trackway and above the same is mounted a pouring device 35 which comprises a container for moulten metal and suitable means for permitting flow tern plates 23 leaving impressions in the upper surface of the sand corresponding to the shape of the articles to be cast. The two flasks of each pair thus have formed in them complemental sections of 'a sand mold and as the flasks are moved along the curved portion 7 of the track rails they are swung to vertical position, bringing the two coinplemental sections of the sand mold together with the gate opening to the upper edge of the mold. As the molds pass beneath the pouring device 35 they are filled with molten met-a1. T 0 permit of the necessary expansion of the molds immediately after pouring, the forward portions of the elevated tracks 8 are yieldably mounted, the springs 34 permitting the necessary relative movements of the flasks due to the expansion of the metal within the molds. The perforations 12* in the bottom of the flasks permitting the escape of gases therefrom during the casting operation. The elevated portion 8 of the outer track rails is of con-- siderable length so that the metal has sufficient time to solidify in the molds before the molds are opened. As the molds containing the castings pass over the rear curved portion 7 of the outer track rails, the flasks are opened and returned to horizontal position and as the flasks pass from the rear sprockets 2, the castings and the sand contained therein are discharged.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawing show an alternative form of a mold pressing device. In this modification a presser plate 36 is mounted for vertical reciprocating movement above the flasks of the endless conveyor, the plate 36 being provided with extensions 36 projecting into suitable guideways formed in the framework. To the underside of the presser plate 36 is detachably secured a pattern plate 37 with raised portions 37 a for forming the cavities in the sand mold sections, raised portions 37 for forming the mold gate and ribs 37 connecting the ribs 37 with the raised portions 37 to provide for flow of metal from the gate to the cavities of the mold. The presser plate 36 is suspended from a horizontal shaft 38 journaled in the framework, the shaft 37 having a central crank portion 39 which is connected to the central portion of the presser plate 36 by a short link 40 so that on each revolution of the shaft 38 the presser plate 36 will be reciprocated into engagement with the sand in the flask beneath the plate and lifted out of engagement therewith. In this modification the driving mechanism will be so arranged that the shaft 38 and the sprocket chain will be alternately actuated, the movement of the endless conveyor being just suflicient to move the succeeding pair of flasks into alignment with the presser plate whereupon the shaft 38 will make one revolution to form the sand mold sections in the flask.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In a continuous casting machine, flasks adapted to support complemental mold sections, means for continuously moving the flasks in an endless path, means along the path of travel of the flasks for automatically shifting the flasks to assemble the molds and for holding the assembled molds in position for ouring, and means for discharging the H s.

2. In a continuous casting machine, flasks adapted to support complemental mold sections, means for moving said flasks in an endless path, means along the path of travel of the flasks for forming sand mold sections in the flasks, means for auton'nitically shifting the flasks.to assemble the molds and for holding the assembled molds in position for pouring, and means for discharging the sand and castings from the flasks.

3. In a continuous casting machine, a series of flasks arranged in pairs, means for moving said flasks in an endless ath, means for forming complemental san mold sections in the flasks of each pair, means for automatically shifting the flasks to bring the complemental mold sections together and for holding the assembled molds in position for pouring, and means for discharging the sand and castings from the flasks.

4. In a continuous casting machine, an endless traveling chain of flasks havingclosod bottoms, means for continuously moving said chain of flasks, means for delivering sand to said flasks, means for compressing the sand in the flasks to form sand mold sections, means-for shifting the flasks to assemble the mold sections, means for delivering molten metal to the sand molds, and means for discharging the sand and castings from the flasks.

5. A casting machine comprising a series of flasks arranged in pairs, the flasks of each pair being hinged together, a trackway for supporting the flasks, means adjacent a portion of the trackway for filling the flasks with sand, means in advance of said filling means for compressing the sand in the flasks and impressing complemental patterns in the sand of the respective flasks of each pair, means in advance of the pattern impressing means for swinging the flasks together to form the molds and for holding the molds in position for pouring, means for discharging the sand and castings from the flasks, and means for propelling the flasks along the trackway.

6. A casting machine comprising a series of flasks arranged in pairs, the flasks of each pair being hinged together side by side,

a trackway supporting the flasks, means for forming complemental mold sections in the respective flasks of each pair, means for swinging the flasks into vertical position to bring the mold sections together and for holding said sections in position for pouring, and means for discharging the molds and castings from the flasks.

7. A continuous casting machine comprising an endless conveyor having flasks arranged in pairs side by side, means above the conveyor for forming complemental sand mold sections in the flasks, DlGHIISvfOI swinging the flasks to vertical position to bring the mold sections together, in position to receive the molten metal, and means at' one portion of the conveyor for discharging the sand and castings from the flasks.

; 8". In a continuous casting machine, a

'' trackway, a'series of flasks on said trackway gether during travel along the trackway to permit the metal to be poured into the molds and to solidify therein, and means for discharging the; sand and castings from the flasks. h Y

9. Ina casting machine, a series of flasks having closed bottoms and-arranged in pairs side by sidc, a trackway upon which the flasks are 11 ported, means for delivering sand "to the asks, a roller having patterns upon the peri hery thereof, said patterns being Yinrelic and corresponding to the cavities i'n' complemental sections of sand molds tobe' formed in the flasks of each pair, said roller'being arranged above the trackway in position to engage the sand in the molds as'the flasks pass beneath it, and

' means for moving the flasks alon the trackway beneath the' -roller and for riving the roller. 7 v

10. In a castingmachine, a series at flasks having closed bottoms, a trackway upon which the flasks are sup orted, means for deliverin sand to the t sks, a roller arranged a ove the trackway immediately above the flasks, said roller having separate raised patterns thereon corresponding to the cavities to be formed in complemental mold sections, and adapted to engage and compress the sand in the flasks, and means for moving the flasks along the trackway and rotating the roller, the patterns upon the roller being so disposed and the movements of the roller and flasks being so correlated that complemental sand mold sections are formed in adjacent flasks.

11. In a continuous casting machine, the combination with a series of mold carriers each comprising a pair of mold section supporting membersarranged side by side and hinged together, of a double trackway upon which the mold carriers are mounted comprising two pairs of longitudinally extendmg rails, for supporting the respective flasks are supported. means for filling the flasks with sand, sand compressing and mold forming means above the trackway adapted to simultaneously compress and form the sand in the flasks of a pair into complemental mold sections, and means for actuating said sand compressing and mold forming means and for continuously advancing the flasks along the trackway beneathsaid sand compressing and forming means.

13. In a casting machine, a series of flasks arranged in two parallel rows side by side, the flasks of the two rows being ar-- ranged in pairs hinged together along their inner edges, :1 trackway upon which the flasks are supported, means for filling the flasks with sand, a roller above the trackway extending above, the airs of flasks, said roller having a central groove to receive the contiguous edges of the flasks and having patterns upon its periphery whereby the roller is adapted to impress the patterns in the sand contained in the flasks durin the passage thereof beneath the roller, an means for moving the flasks along the track way beneath the roller and for driving the roller.

. 14. In a casting machine, an endless chain, vertically disposed end sprockets over which said chain passes, a trackway along the upper run of said chain, mold flasks arranged in pairs, the flasks of each pair being arranged side by side upon opposite sides of the chain and supported on the formed to support the flasks in horizontal position and a portion formed to swing said flasks to vertical position in engagement with each other and to hold them in such position during a portion of their travel, and guiding means for the flasks around the end sprockets and along the' lower run.

15. In a continuous casting machine, an endless chain of flasks arranged in pairs side by side with the flasks of each pair hinged together along their adjacent edges,

said chain of flasks being mounted for 110 trackway, sa1d trackway havlng a portion run formed with forward and rear portions for supporting the flasks in horizontal position and an intermediate portion for supporting the flasks one closed upon the other in vertical position, means along the forward horizontal portion of the trackway for forming sand mold sections in the flasks of each pair, and means above the intermediate portion of the trackway for supplying molten metal to the molds.

17. In a casting machine, the combination with a mold carrier comprising a pair of flasks arranged side by side and hinged along their adj a-cent'edges, of a pair of supportlng rails for each of the flasks of the pair, the inner of the rails being horizontally disposed and the outer of the rails having horizontally disposed end portions and intermediate portions bent upwardly and inwardly to cause the hinged flasks to be swung to vertical position with one closed upon the other in their passage along the trackway, and means for moving the flasks along the trackway.

18. In a casting machine, the combination with a mold carrier, comprising a pair of flasks arranged side by side and hinged along their adjacent edges, of a pair of supporting rails for each of the flasks of the pair, the inner of the rails being horizontally disposed and the outer of the rails having end portions in the plane of the inner rails and intermediate portions bent upwardly and inwardly to cause the flask sections to swing together, the elevated portions of the outer rails extending parallel to cause the flasks to travel in closed position, means for moving the flasks along the trackway,'means above an end portion of the trackway for forming complemental sand molds in the flasks, and means above the intermediate portion of the trackwa for supplying molten metal to the molds.

19. In acasting machine, the combination with a mold carrier comprising a pair of flasks arranged side by side and hinged along their adjacent edges, of a pair of inner track rails for supporting the inner edge portions of the flasks and a pair of outer rails for supporting the outer edge portions of the flasks, said outer rails having end portions in the plane of said inner rails and intermediate portions bent upwardly and inwardly and extending parallel to each other above the inner rails where-.

by said flasks will be swung to vertical closed position upon movement along the trackway and will travel for a distance along the trackway in closed position, means for yieldingly supporting the forward part of the intermediate elevated portion of the outer rails, and means for rigidly supporting the remainder of said elevated 1 portion.

In testimony. whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures.

SAMUEL HINOHLIFFE. LEWIS W. LAFERTY. JOHN S. ROBINSON. 

